Oru Leonard

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission its highest funds recovery in 2021 from its Lagos Zonal Command followed by Abuja, Kaduna and Port Harcourt zonal commands.

In its April edition of EFCC Alert, the monthly e-magazine published by the media unit of the commission, the agency said it recovered from Lagos N70.31bn, $9.28m, £21,500, 4.06 Bitcoin and 0.09 Ethereum in 2021 alone.

In Abuja, the commission said it recovered N67.24bn, $375.66m, £1.15m, €155,251.76.

Kaduna command yielded N3.33 billion and $13,685; Port Harcourt, N2.14 billion and $125,077; Sokoto, N1.92 billion, $56,950 and £4,075; Kano, N1.78 billion, $194,098 and SAR1.72 million.

From the Benin zonal command, the agency hauled N972.05 million, $49,240 and £735; Enugu, N768.2 million; $22,735 and AED50; Ibadan, N325.52m, $383,385, £2,670, €995, 1,400 Canadian Dollar, 1.3BTC and ZAR1, 900.

From Gombe zonal command, the report said the commission recovered N388.59 million and $1,500; Uyo, N234 million and $357,000; Maiduguri, N970.42 million; Makurdi, N121.35 million; and Ilorin, N240.96m and $7,161.

The agency also disclosed that it made thousand of arrests and secured hundreds of convictions during the period in review.

“The EFCC secured 976 convictions in 2020; 1,280 in 2019, and 314 in 2018. Going memory lane, it was a humble beginning with 68 convictions in 2010 and 67 recorded in 2011.

“The Commission then revved it up to 87, 117 and 126, in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. There was a drop in 2015, with 103 convictions secured. However, 2016 witnessed an improvement, with 194 convictions. Yet another drop was witnessed in 2017 as it fell short by five, to stay at 189 convictions.

“But, in all ramifications, the 2021 record of 2,220 (convictions) can well be described as “a significant upsurge”, which has no doubt placed the EFCC on a pedestal of a pacesetter.

“This also reflects in the mind-boggling sums of N152, 088,698,751.64; $386,220,202.84; £1,182,519.75; €156,246.76; 1,723,310.00 Saudi Riyal; 1,900.00 South African Rand, and 1,400.00 Canadian Dollars recovered from the corrupt in the society.”

(News Gazette)

Photo Credit: The Gaurdian